Jacob cites his experience with God (ʾEl Shaddai) in 35.11-13 as the basis for adopting Joseph’s sons and raising them to the same level of inheritance as his own sons.

And now your two sons … are mine: And now is probably to be understood as a consequence, but one of broader significance than may be drawn from the previous verse. Jacob is here declaring that Joseph’s sons born in Egypt to an Egyptian mother are the legitimate heirs of the promise first received by Abraham and passed to him. Are mine means “belong to me” or “are my sons.”

Ephraim and Manasseh … mine … as Reuben and Simeon: Jacob repeats himself here for emphasis. He also mentions the name of the younger brother first as if he were the firstborn.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .